BRO’s Summer Bucket List

In celebration the 2017 summer, we’re challenging you, the reader, to tick a few of the following adventures off your official summer bucket list. Share your adventures with us on social media using the hashtag #BROsummergoals. On Monday, July 17, we’ll pick our favorite and hook the winner up with a free BRO T-shirt.

Take a seat underneath your favorite waterfall.

There are countless waterfalls throughout the Blue Ridge region. Whether it’s in a non-disclosed portion of wild and wonderful West Virginia or deep in the heart of Dupont, go find your favorite, pick a comfy and safe spot to post up beneath or behind the rushing waters, and don’t forget to tag us in the amazing Instagram post that will inevitably ensue.

Western North Carolina’s SoCo Falls.

Mountain bike to a swimming hole.

Summer has a way of leaving mountain bikers in pursuit of one common goal: a little relief from the scorching heat. Check out this list of four rides that will land you in some cold, refreshing mountain water.

Hike a peak above 5,000 feet.

Believe it or not, the Appalachians, and the Blue Ridge Mountains in particular, are chock full of summits that sore to heights beyond 5,000 feet above sea level. Just take your pick and get to climbing, but don’t forget to post a #summitselfie.

Stop and smell the rhodo.

You’ll need to act quick on this one because the rhododendron are already in full bloom at high elevations. For a quick peak of this coveted summertime phenomenon, head for the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Photo by Dusty Allison.

Find a boat-in campsite.

Unless you own a lake, live near a river near a National Forest, or reside on the coast where you can paddle out to some unnamed barrier island for a weekend of camping, you have to do a little work to find a campsite that combines two great things: boats and tents. Here’s a good place to start.

A Lake James campsite at dusk.

Land a wild trout on the fly.

When the summer heat is on, many fly fishers head deeper and higher into the hills in search of colder water and wilder fish. Find a blue line on your favorite map and head to a remote stream you’ve never fished before.

Catch a Blue Ridge Parkway sunset.

This is a great activity for any season, but now that we’ve finally reached the longest days of the year, the opportunities for catching a sunset on the parkway are even more numerous. Depending on where you live, you might even be able to sneak out of the office early and witness a week night sunset sans crowds.

A Blue Ridge Parkway sunset.

Get lost in your favorite wilderness area.

If it’s a remote and rugged experience you seek this summer, the Blue Ridge Mountains will not disappoint. Inhabitants of this region are blessed to be surrounded by large swaths of permanently protected wild lands like the Linville Gorge Wilderness Area of Western North Carolina, the Cranberry Wilderness of West Virginia, and the Ellicott Rock Wilderness (which spans portions of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia) just to name a few.

The Linville Gorge.

Take up a new outdoor pursuit.

Is there something new you’ve been wanting to try? Looking to get your feet wet in the Southeast’s bustling whitewater scene or cut your teeth on bouldering or rappelling. What about packrafting or bikepacking? You know what they say: there’s no time like the Summer Solstice. Ok, maybe they don’t say that at all, but we’re all about starting new trends here at Blue Ridge Outdoors. Get out there and try something new, and send us pics of the new you in action.

BRO Travel Editor Jess Daddio in the midst of her first-ever packrafting excursion.